Monday, June 30, 2008

Watermelon and tomato are two fruits that complement each another in an unusual way. When you cut up and combine them, their distinctions become a little blurry and each masquerades as the other. The tomato’s acidity becomes tamed, as does the melon’s sweetness; their juices mingle, and even their flesh seems to meld.

Yield 4 servings

Time 15 minutes

Mark Bittman

There’s crunch in this salad, from an unusual source: the seeds, in limited quantities at least, are not only tolerable but an asset.

* 1. Combine the watermelon, tomato, cheese, scallions and salt in a bowl.* 2. Whisk or blend together about 2 tablespoons of the watermelon juice, oil, vinegar and cayenne. To serve, dress the salad with this mixture and garnish with cilantro. Do not refrigerate and serve within 30 minutes.

Source: The New York Timeshttp://bitten.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/recipe-of-the-day-watermelon-and-tomato-salad/

Dan's note: feta cheese works, as does balsamic vinegar instead of sherry. It'll make a pretty watery, soupy salad- people might not want to eat it. Maybe you can drain it or something. It's very tasty, though!

For some added flavor, or to take this soup in another direction, toss the tomatoes with somewhere between a teaspoon + of adobo sauce (from can of chipotles)....more or less depending on how spicy you like your food.

Bring the broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the orzo and cook until just tender - about ten minutes. Stir in the chopped spinach.

In the meantime, heat the tomatoes, red pepper flakes and a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a separate saucepan. Taste, and salt a bit if needed.

Just before serving, Slowly pour the egg whites into the soup, stirring quickly with a whisk. The whites should take on a raggy appearance. Taste and add more salt if needed. Serve the soup in individual bowls, with each serving topped with a generous spoonful of tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, and dusting of cheese.

Combine all ingredients except pumpkin puree, mix until smooth, strain. Add pumpkin, mix until smooth. Fill two pie shells 1/4" from the top. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then at 350 until set.Variations: substitute cooked and sieved sweet potatoes for pumpkin puree, or substitute half brown sugar for the sugar, or omit cloves, or use just evaporated milk instead of cream.

Combine flour and butter in small saucepan, melt, make a "white roux" (shorter cooking time than a blond or brown roux). Add half the milk, turn up heat to low simmer, stir frequently, make sure roux mixes evenly and doesn't stick in corners. After it thickens a bit, add the rest of the milk, simmer 15-20 minutes.

Turn sauce to low, start sprinkling American cheese in, constantly stirring, until it's all incorporated. Turn off burner and do the same with cheddar. Stir in seasonings, adjust to taste.

Source: Thanksgiving Dinner class, PA Culinary Institute, Chef Don Hutchins, 11/12/06Dan's notes: You can tinker with the cheese choice. American is very soft and processed, so you can add it with the sauce on low; cheddar is a little harder, so add it bit by bit. If the sauce is too hot, it'll all coagulate.

Cut onion into fourths, break apart, do not chop. Saute in a sauce pan with olive oil until glassy, add garlic. Add all other ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat, simmer 45 minutes. Pick out the onion and serve.

Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together twice. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Combine egg, vanilla, and almond extract, and add to creamed mixture. Mix on medium until combined. Add sifted ingredients and mix only until combined; dough should be stiff.

Roll dough out between 2 sheets of parchment paper to a 12"x9" rectangle, using 1 long sheet of parchment paper folded in half. Make sure you roll out the dough evenly. Cut the edges off neatly with a bench scraper to even them. Place dough in the freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.

Remove dough from freezer, peel back the top parchment paper. Thinly spread the pumpkin filling evenly over the dough. Don't spread too thickly; you should still be able to see the dough slightly through the pumpkin. If you don't use all the filling, it's okay.

Starting at one end, roll up the ends in the same manner as a caker oll. Make sure to keep it tight and even. If the dough cracks slightly, rub it together with your fingers. Wrap the roll in the parchment paper, seam side down, and place back in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour.

Slice cookies 1/4" thick, and place onto a cookie sheet at least 1" apart. Sprinkle brown sugar on the tops of the cookies and rub it in with your fingers. Bake 8-10 minutes, just until the edges are turning brown.

Serve cookies on a platter with a small bowl of whipped cream and nutmeg so guests can make pumpkin pie pinwheel sandwiches.

Preheat oven to 350. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together baking powder, soda, flour, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy with a hand-held electric mixer. Beat in the egg. Add the dry ingredients, beat until just combined. Fold in the oats, vanilla, and 3/4 c. shredded coconut flakes.

Form walnut-sized balls of the mixture and drop 2" apart onto parchment paper-lined sheet pans. Bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes until the bottoms of the cookies are golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely.

When the cookies are cool, dip halfway into the melted white chocolate and then into toasted shredded coconut flakes. Set them on parchment-lined sheet pans to dry completely.

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease two large baking sheets. Melt 4 oz of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Cream the butter with the confectioner's sugar in a bowl until smooth and pale. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the strong black coffee.

Sift the flour and cornstarch over the mixture. Fold in lightly and evenly to make a soft mixture.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and pipe 20 swirls on the prepared baking sheets, allowing room for spreading during baking. (if it's too stiff to pipe, add a little more coffee) Bake about 15 minutes, until the cookies are firm and just beginning to brown. Cool about 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then lift carefully on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Melt the rest of the chocolate, dip each swirl, place on a sheet of baking parchment, and set. Makes 20 cookies.

Dan's Recipes

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